1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a flexible framing station tool changing method and apparatus and more specifically to a method and apparatus for changing out framing station side and underbody tooling gates.
2. Description of the Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
In manufacturing automotive bodies, various body components such as roof, floor and side body sections must be joined together. In many framing systems, the body components are first loosely xe2x80x9ctoy-tabbedxe2x80x9d together before they are welded. Toy tabbing allows enough freedom of relative movement between the body components to properly locate them before welding. The toy-tabbed body assembly is then moved to a framing station where locating fixtures engage it. The locating fixtures are carried by a pair of framing gates that are moved toward either side of the body by a framing drive system. The gates positively locate and hold the loosely assembled body components together long enough for welding machines or human welders to form enough welds between the body components to hold them rigidly together. Such systems typically include both side gates that engage vehicle bodies from the sides and underbody tooling support beams that engage vehicle bodies from below.
Some flexible framing systems include several interchangeable framing gate pairs, each of which is configured to support a specific automotive body configuration. Flexible framing systems of this type can be reconfigured to accommodate a different body style simply by removing one gate pair from a framing station and installing another.
A flexible framing system of this type may include both side tool gates and underbody tool support beams interchangeably supported adjacent a vehicle body assembly line conveyor. The conveyor in such a system passes through the framing station and supplies a series of loosely assembled vehicle bodies to the framing station for welding. The station supports side tool gates on either side of the path that the vehicle bodies follow into the framing station on the conveyor. The station in such a system also supports underbody tool support beams beneath the path of such vehicle bodies. Each set of side gates and underbody beams (gate-beam set) is dedicated to a specific vehicle body configuration, so the gate-beam sets are interchanged in preparation for changes in the type or configuration of vehicle body to be produced on the assembly line. Each framing gate and underbody beam carries tools in the form of locating fixtures and clamps that are positioned to positively locate and hold sub-elements of a specific vehicle body configuration in proper positions relative to each other for welding when the gates are supported in respective framing positions.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,293,454 issued Sep. 25, 2001 to Zhang et al., discloses a flexible framing station having underbody framing gates. The underbody framing gates are removably supportable at the framing station. A framing gate drive removably supports one of the underbody framing gates at a time at the framing station and moves it between stowed and framing positions. In the stowed position an underbody framing gate is spaced downward from the conveyor. In the framing position, an underbody framing gate engages the underside of a vehicle body carried by the conveyor in the framing station.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,535 issued Oct. 1, 1996 to Miller et al. discloses framing gate pairs and an underbody support removably supportable at a framing station. A pair of upright side gate supports are movably supported at the framing station and detachably support one of the framing gate pairs at a time for reciprocal motion between respective stowed and framing positions. In the stowed position, the side gates are spaced from and generally parallel to either side of a vehicle body assembly line path passing between them. In the framing positions the side gates are disposed closer to the vehicle body assembly line path such that when a vehicle body assembly is disposed between the side gates of a side gate pair on the assembly line path, the locating fixtures supported on the gates engage and hold sub-elements of that vehicle body assembly in proper positions relative to each other for welding. A harmonic framing gate drive is operably connected to the side gate supports and moves the supports through a reciprocal motion that carries the gates between their stowed and framing positions. However, neither the Shang et al. system nor the Miller et al. system can install, remove, and store the underbody support together with the framing gate pairs.
According to the invention, an apparatus is provided for changing out framing station side and underbody tooling. The apparatus includes a framing station configured to be disposed along a vehicle body assembly line in a position to receive and hold vehicle bodies for welding. A framing gate pair is interchangeably supportable at the framing station and includes two side gates. Each side gate carries tools positioned and configured to positively locate and hold sub-elements of a vehicle body in predetermined positions relative to one another when the two side gates are supported in respective framing positions on either side of a vehicle body received at the framing station. An underbody tooling support beam pair is also interchangeably supportable at the framing station and includes two underbody tooling support beams. Each gate of the underbody tooling support beam pair carries tools positioned and configured to positively locate and hold sub-elements of a vehicle body in predetermined positions relative to one another when the two underbody tooling support beams are supported in respective framing positions beneath a vehicle body received at the framing station. A transport positioner is disposed at the framing station and is configured to move the framing gate pair and the underbody tooling support beam pair from respective supported positions at the framing station. The transport positioner is also configured to interconnect the gates of the gate pair and the beams of the underbody tool support beam pair into a single gate-beam set and move the gate-beam set to a transport position for removal from the framing station.
The invention also includes a method for changing out framing station side and underbody tooling. According to this method one can change out framing station side and underbody tooling by first providing a framing station along a vehicle body assembly line in a position to receive and hold vehicle bodies for welding. A framing gate pair and an underbody tooling support beam pair are supported for framing operations at the framing station with each gate including tools configured and positioned to positively locate and hold sub-elements of a vehicle body in predetermined positions relative to one another. The gates and beams are moved from their respective supported positions at the framing station and interconnected into a single gate-beam set. The gate-beam set is then moved to a transport position and removed from the framing station.
According to another aspect of the inventive method, a second gate-beam set is provided including an interconnected framing gate pair and underbody tooling support beams connected to the side gates. The second gate-beam set is moved onto the framing station, and the individual gates of the second set of gates are moved into respective supported positions at the framing station for framing operations.
Objects, features and advantages of this invention include providing a flexible framing station gate change out system that simplifies and speeds the process of changing out and storing side and underbody framing gates, and that allows side and underbody framing gates to be removed, transported, stored, and installed together as a single gate-beam set.